1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a marine craft accessory, and more particularly relates to a boating accessory of the type having primary utility as hull protector, also called a beaching apron.
2. Description of Related Art
Many situations exist where boat owners must beach their boats on a gravel, sand, mud, or rocky shoreline. This is particularly common, for instance, where docks are not readily available, as when the boat is beached in an uninhabited area of a river or lake for picnicking, camping, and trailering, as well as in many fishing environments and the like. When beached, the keel or hull of a boat, particularly in the commonly V-shaped bow area, can easily be damaged from abrasion or impact with the shoreline surface.
Additionally, the hull can be damaged after beaching while the boat is parked. This is so because boats are typically moored by tying off the bow of the boat by using an eyebolt and rope to secure the bow to a permanent object such as a tree, and by securing the stern of the boat by means of an anchor. This method of mooring prevents the stern from swinging around onto the shoreline. However, currents and waves may still cause rocking of the boat relative to the shoreline. Without protection, this back-and-forth rocking movement of the bow relative to a muddy, sandy, or rocky shore causes scratching of the hull's surface, regardless of whether the hull is formed of fiberglass, metal or wood. This type of damage reduces performance of the boat, is costly to repair, and greatly reduces the value of the boat. In view of the foregoing, a significant need exists to be able to protect the keel or hull of a boat in a beaching circumstance.
Various inventions for protecting boat hulls are currently known. Examples include U.S. Pat. No. 3,055,022 issued to Vallquist (Boat Beaching Apron); U.S. Pat. No. 4,815,412 issued to Cassaro (Boat Bow Protector); and, U.S. Pat. No. 5,357,890 issued to Mason (Boat Beaching Apron). These inventions all use ropes to secure the hull protector to the hull. However, these inventions all use additional, special components or features to position the hull protector relative to the hull. Particularly, the Vallquist and Cassaro inventions use floats to keep the hull protector properly positioned. The Vallquist invention additionally utilizes drags. The Mason invention does not use floats or drags to position the hull protector but instead uses a body member which is provided with a generally V-shaped groove along its central portion.
The use of additional components or features to position the hull protector relative to the hull is not desirable for various reasons. First, storage space on a boat is extremely limited. Additional components, such as floats and the additional associated ropes for securing the floats to the hull protector take up valuable storage space. Second, additional parts or features make the hull protectors more cumbersome to use. The Mason invention, being formed from solid rubber, cannot be easily manipulated, folded or stowed. The additional ropes and floats associated with the Cassaro device can get tangled and knotted. Third, additional components increase the possibility that one or more of these components will become lost or damaged, thereby making the whole invention useless. Finally, additional positioning components and features increase the cost of the boat hull protectors.
In view of the foregoing, there is a significant need for a boat hull protector which does not need additional positioning components or features. None of the above inventions and patents, taken either singly or in combination, is seen to describe the instant invention as claimed.